Exister Is Coming...

... Hot Water Music returns with the first album since 2004's The New What Next. Anyway, I really dug the 2 song single the band released a little while back; so, here's to hoping Exciter will be just as good if not better.

Order the crazy package here... it includes all of this:

Exister LP - Silver & Gold Splatter on BLACK (LIMITED TO 400)
Exister Dickies Jacket
Exister Belt Buckle
Compass T-Shirt
Exister T-Shirt
Exister Patch
Exister (El Jefe) Poster (Limited to 1,000)
Exister CD

Order the LP by itself here... Dookie(?) and Electric Blue vinyl (limited to 2200).

There are other packages, but you can look for those if you are so inclined.

Already Gone from En

Brought to you by the fine folks behind Experimedia (whose label I am becoming more and more enamored with lately) and Students Of Decay, En's second album is lush and beautiful.

Already Gone is the second full length album from West Coast dream-drone unit En, the duo of Maxwell August Croy and James Devane, following their well-received debut album The Absent Coast (released in 2010 on Root Strata, which Croy runs alongside Jefre Cantu-Ledesma). For their sophomore release, the pair have opened up their tonal palette considerably. While the comparisons that critics made of their first album to the work of Tim Hecker and Stars of the Lid still hold true, Already Gone finds Croy and Devane mining even richer sonic climes. Here, the duo pull back the curtain on some of their source material, a move that allows the diversity of their instrumentation to resonate. On The Sea Saw Swell, Croy's acoustic koto pings across the stereo spectrum as a looping guitar figure from Devane apparates from the haze of a beautiful, slowly shifting drone. The side-long closer Elysia is likely the duo's defining recording to date, an epic slow-burner that reaches heights both angelic and cacophonous. Ultimately, it is the harmonious marriage of the organic and the obscured that recurs throughout the album that proves its defining trait, and it is precisely what makes En stand out in the ever-growing field of contemporary drone/ambient musics. 

Vinyl edition of 500 copies total (100 clear, 400 black), includes digital download coupons.

Couple of ordering options

The clear LP with the CD... get here

The LP by itself... get here

New Horseback LP...

...Is up for pre-order over at Relapse (yes this has been so for a little bit). You Horseback freaks will be frothing at the mouth to grab Half Blood. Here is your chance. Three colors:

Clear (of 100)- unavailable to the public
Brown (of 500)- get here
Black 180 Gram (of 500)- get here

The Latest From Imminent Frequencies

Two new tapes from Imminent Frequencies.

The first, Soundtracks For Brakhage is from Rick Corrigan.

IF17 - RICK CORRIGAN - "SOUNDTRACKS FOR BRAKHAGE"
c34 Edition of 150

Three electronic soundtracks by Rick Corrigan composed for films by the visionary filmmaker Stan Brakhage. During the mid 1980’s Rick Corrigan was part of the Colorado-based experimental ensemble Architect’s Office when he befriended local film legend Stan Brakhage. In the years that followed they would collaborate on numerous film projects and live performances in and around Boulder, Colorado. The three soundtracks presented here were made between 1990-1992 and were composed on a variety of synthesizers and electronic instruments. Over the course of each piece Corrigan uses various techniques to create a wide range of otherworldly sounds. Layers constantly shift in texture and tone forming an aural mosaic. Never redundant and thoroughly genuine, these are the sounds of an amazing electronic synthesis. Transferred from the original cassette masters and featuring artwork created from Brakhage's original 16mm films.

The second is Dawn Widow from Steve Kenney.

IF16 - STEVE KENNEY - "DAWN WIDOW"
c20 Edition of 100

Late night trance-inducing synthesizer music by Steve Kenney. Kenney a long-running figure within the Michigan noise scene may be best known for his work with the audio / visual unit Demons as well as more recent collaborations with Heath Moerland and Andrew Coltrane. The past several years have found Kenney increasingly going solo both on record and in live form. Fresh off the release of his debut LP, Dawn Widow collects recent sessions recorded in Detroit and Mexico City. Kenney supplies two sides of stark electronics consisting of enigmatic swells that pulsate within an endless series of tunneling synth drones and ever-changing tonalities. Desolate and weak, it’s only a matter of time before you loose your sanity.

Order and listen to samples here

Music Ruins Lives Awakes...

... and offers Morning Star from Book Of Sand. After a long winter's nap, the folks at Music Ruins Lives have finally brought something new to the masses.

The line is made up of an infinite number of points; the plane of an infinite number of lines; the volume of an infinite number of planes; the hypervolume of an infinite number of volumes...

Limited to 100 hand-numbered copies. Screen printed sleeve (silver ink on blue cardstock) + insert.

Order here

Listen below

Year Of No Light and Thisquietarmy...

...collaborate together on this split that is recently available. Year Of No Light had been slowly moving toward and instrumental freak out, culminating in their last album Ausserwelt; and now the troupe is joining creative forces with the virtually ambient act, Thisquietarmy.

This record pushes the idea of sharing a record to the extreme. Both sides start with a new song from each band, long songs (approx 12 min) which let both bands enough time to developp their own ambience full of intensity and melodic loops. These new songs are followed by collaboratives drones which prove that these two bands were made to work together and share a record. The atmosphere is dark but always full of melodies and progressions.

Three color variations of this LP: white, transparent clear (?) and black. No pressing numbers, but pre-order here

Organized Crime's Latest Offerings

Organized Crime has one hell of a batch of records that just went up for Pre-order.

You can get the whole deal in one fell swoop and with limited color vinyl choices here

Here is what is in the deal:

Limited Color Package Deal Includes:

All Out War "Truth In The Age Of Lies" LP (Solid Red)
All Out War "1992 Demo" 10" (Solid Red)
The Killer "Obey No One" 7" (Clear w/ Black)
Rot In Hell/Vegas "Split" 6" (Solid Red)

All Out War's Debut Album...

...is finally seeing a release on vinyl via Organized Crime.

The color breakdown is like this:

Solid Red (of 150)
Solid Grey (of 350)
White (of 500)

Get them individually or in a package by themselves or in the giant Organized Crime Package or in a package with the demo 10" that is also available here

The demo 10" is available on black (of 200) by itself or if you get one of the packages on red vinyl.

Vegas and Rot In Hell Split !

Split 6" record from these two Holy Terror groups.


2 color choices:

200 on Red
300 on yellow

There are options for getting them separate or together or part of the big package deal from Organized Crime.

Get it here

Locrian Signs to Relapse

So... a new Locrian album and a 2xCD version of The Clearing with more material... sign me up

Relapse Records is extremely proud to announce the signing of experimental, dark ambient / noise trio LOCRIAN. LOCRIAN formed in late 2005 and consist of André Foisy (Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Arp Avatar, Electronics), Terence Hannum (Vocals, Synthesizers, Piano, Organ, Mellotron and Tapes) and Steven Hess (Drums, Electronics). The group, located in Chicago, IL and Baltimore, MD has released over 20 recordings on an eclectic array of labels in their relatively short but prolific career, including a recent split with label-mates HORSEBACK. 

LOCRIAN plan to enter the studio later this year for their full-length Relapse debut. Furthermore, this summer Relapse will reissue the group’s most recent vinyl only release The Clearing as a 2CD/Digital deluxe album with a bonus disc re-titled as The Clearing/The Final Epoch. More details on the reissue and the new album will be available shortly. 

Kwaidan's First Release

Here is a new tape from Accidental Guest Recordings from a group called Kwaidan which rumor has it is made up of members of Locrian, Catherine, and Zelienople

There's something unsettling about this live recording from Chicago trio Kwaidan, that few bands can put to tape. This recording pushes and pulls the listener, builds up tension and breaks it over and over again. The backbone of this work is not consistency of sound, rather, it is the attack of cymbals and drums that explode to the forefront, only to disappear, bringing to mind the beauty that would take place if Loren Connors played in Taj Mahal Travellers. While it's easy for a work like this to leave too much aural space to the listener, Kwaidan breathtakingly uses each second of these 36 minutes to fill every possible gap without overcrowding any sound. Some toil for years to create a work as consistent as this recording, but Kwaidan does it effortlessly. That in itself makes this cassette uncanny, ethereal, and a true experimental rarity.

RIYL: Taj Mahal Travellers, Loren Connors, Celer, Svarte Greiner, Elegi

Order here

Motion Sickness Of Time Travel's Latest

Is up for pre-order now through Editions Mego. Order Here

I recently dove headlong into absorbing this project and have been loving every minute of it. I am excited to hear this new one. Here is a record to get an idea of what Motion Sickness Of Time Travel sounds like.







Here is a bit more info on the project and latest release:

In 2010 Rachel Evans released "Seeping Through the Veil of the Unconscious", an expansive, magic trick of a cassette which captivated an unsuspecting American cassette underground and made dedicated fans instantly. Digitalis released fine editions of the "Seeping..." as well as the acclaimed follow-up "Luminaries and Synastries" on LP which packed an equally potent punch. Since then much anticipation has been created from her work with husband Grant Evans, including a split LP on Aguirre Records in late 2011 and various releases as duo Quiet Evenings

Evans has since been hard at work on an expansive, definitive 2xLP project, carefully arranging sounds to create immense, alchemical side-long tracks which push the boundries of the project into new territory. These incredible new highs are documented in a clear, spacious fidelity where cerebral sounds gently flow and wash through the stereo field creating a beautiful deep listening situation. Big changes in sound and scope are evident; a shift from the murky, mysterious haze of the older recordings into a highly addictive concentrate of airy tones and gem-like glow, each track forming a universal sky-map . There is, however, no loss of mystique. One of Evans most charming elements is her ability to create a divine magnetism, and to capture this very magic unfiltered, raw and uncomprimised. Very few have the capability to create this powerful energy and make is as accessible as Evans does.

This full-length definitive album is a high water mark in Motion Sickness of Time Travel discography. An album masterfully crafted with ambition, crystal clear vision and dedicated focus. Mastered for vinyl by Lawrence English and cut for vinyl at Dubplates and Mastering.

Great stuff.

Black God Returns

... with their 2nd 7" (appropriately titled II). I love Black God if only for the ideal that they are a punk band sticking to 2 minute long punk songs that go on 7" records. I hope to catch them soon.

1st pressing on clear, blue, pink, and (probably) grey vinyl!!
Black God, the new Louisville-based blitz rock super-group featuring Rob Pennington (Endpoint, By The Grace Of God, Black Cross), Ryan Patterson (Coliseum, Black Cross), Nick Thieneman (Young Widows, Black Cross) and Ben Sears, have announced the details of their upcoming new EP entitled "II" out now on No Idea Records.

Described as a cross between The Wipers and Fugazi's "In On The Kill Taker," as well as Drive Like Jehu, Rites of Spring, Killing Joke and others...

Now, I have not heard II yet, but that does not bring to mind what I thought the first 7" sounded like, which was great. Get this now.

RESUME THE GLOOM addendum

Cannot explain how exciting this short Old Man Gloom jaunt is this spring. Do not miss them when they hit your town... hell fly in and see them or miss them forever

RESUME THE GLOOM!

RESUME THE GLOOM!

KTL Surfaces Again With V

I completely spaced and forgot to let people know about the latest album from KTL, the collaboration between Stephen O'Malley (SunnO))), Khanate, Burning Witch, etc.) and Peter Rehberg. KTL usually is the calmer of SOMA's projects and their 5th album took quite a while.

Pre-order here

Well, that took longer than expected. Finally the 5th KTL studio album is ready for release.
Whereas their previous album IV was recorded and made in a relative short period in a more traditional rock environment, V turns full circle, takes its time and tackles the complex working processes of the european avant garde.

Rooting themselves in such legendary electronic music studios such as EMS in Stockholm and GRM in Paris, O’Malley and Rehberg have delivered a rich set of sound experiments far removed from harsh metal/noise blizzards of their early albums.

They took a step further by inviting icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson to orchestrate Phill 2, resulting in a towering storm monumental classicism. Finally, ‘Last Spring: A Prequel’ turns the whole album on its head with abstract alien textures of the Gisèle Vienne installation of the same name., with text by Dennis Cooper spoken with devout intensity by long term Vienne collaborator Jonathan Capdevielle.

With full colour artwork by Mark Fell, V is KTL’s most sophisticated work to date

There is a limited version (to 300) that comes with an extra 12" EP, but those are all gone already. Good luck tracking one of those down.

Circle Of Ouroborus Returns...

... with The Lost Entrance Of The Just via the always impeccable Handmade Birds. 

The Lost Entrance Of The Just follows the 2011 modern classic Eleven Fingers, and finds the band continuing their exploration of textures that are at once muffled and cathartic. Layers of sound conditioned in a womb-like reinvention of texture that is truly unlike anything else currently available from any other artists, anywhere. This one is sure to sell out as fast as the Eleven Fingers LP.

Edition: Limited to 500 copies, 180 gram, Booklet designed by Rauta, and mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin.

Pick up a copy here 

Mirrorring... Like Waking From A Slumber

I have been listening to this a bunch during my slumber, and I think it is fitting. Mirrorring's first album, Foreign Bodies hits stores soon and is available now at Kranky (Click the link to order).

Mirrorring is Jesy Fortino, who has recorded under the Tiny Vipers moniker, and Liz Harris, better know as Grouper.

The recordings on this album came about through a songwriting session in Portland, Oregon.

The resulting sounds are contemplative, reflective, and introspective, creating a feeling as much as a song, a mood as much as a tune.

One could try to assess what part of the album each artist was responsible for, but that would prevent one from seeing the proverbial forest for the trees.

This sounds exactly as you might expect it to given the conspirators... great stuff.



Songs:

1. Fell Sound
2. Silent from Above
3. Cliffs
4. Drowning the Call
5. Mine
6. Mirror of our Sleeping